


Spoiled

by Clockwork



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 07:18:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16614407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clockwork/pseuds/Clockwork
Summary: AU wherein Druitt realized that Ashley was developing a lot of his traits and so he took his daughter to raise her himself with the help of Uncle Nikola.  Ashley is about ten when this takes place.





	Spoiled

Even at that young age, Ashley’s steps were a soft swish against the hardwood floors. Of course the slipper feet of her pajamas helped with that, but already she was learning the value of silence in all that she did. Not that she was expected to be quiet at all times, but she quickly learned what traits were valued and she gladly did what she might to earn praise. She did like that, to see his face light up as he congratulated her, praising her efforts the harder she worked.

And even at just shy of her tenth birthday, she was working as hard as she could. Not only her book studies, which she learned from her “uncle” who was the rudest and hardest taskmaster a child might imagine, but her athletic studies as well. Already she had bested the course set for her in the yard, mastering skills that would do her well through city streets and any building she might find herself trapped in. 

Most nights, between her hard work and her studies, Ashley slept like a stone, curled up in a tight ball in the center of a bed big enough for an army with the heavy blanket pulled up over her head. Dark curtains blocked out the light, and her room was neat as a pin with not a single thing out of place before she crawled into bed at night.

Six years after her father had realized her mother was not in a place to truly help Ashley’s particular needs and had taken her away for her own good, it was rare for the child to get out of bed at night. Rarer still were the moments when she might disappear with a flash of light from beneath the covers, finding herself in places she read about in storybooks, or was told about in her studies. Finding control over the special skills her blood granted her had been one of the first priorities when Druitt had taken her in. Helping a small child find control over the hunger that burned in her veins was proving much harder, though part of that came from the uncertainty of when it would hit, and the intensity of it when it did.

That night she had gone to bed shortly after her bath, claiming to be tired from the new course he had constructed for her. In truth he should have realized that for what it was, seen that it was more than exhaustion before the young girl came padding into his study in fuzzy pajamas in dark blue with stars all over them, her long hair braided by Druitt’s own hands and pinned atop her head in fancy loops after he had worked the silky blond strands into perfect plaits. 

He was only aware of her standing there a moment before she spoke, something that both startled him and delighted him at the same time. She was learning quickly and showing herself smarter than most five times her age. Which was good, he knew, because with her blood she was fighting against a learning curve that could kill her and many others.

“What is it you want, Ashley? You should be asleep.”

“Having trouble sleeping,” she admitted, standing by the door and not proceeding further into the room until she was invited.

Druitt put down his pen, turning to face the child. For a long time the pair stared at one another before he gestured her forward.

It was all the incentive that Ashley needed. Crossing the floor, she leaned against his side, resting her head on his shoulder, her arm linking with his own. 

“Is it hurting again?”

She nodded, not looking up at him. “All over. Like last time,” she murmured, staring down at his arm. With the tip of her finger she drew designs against “Like… like my bones hurt.” Frowning deeply, drawing the design over and over again on the fabric, working against the threads of the material with the point of her nail. 

Mentally he considers what she’s drawing, what the design might mean as he waits for her to finish. After a long moment without her saying a word, he tuucked a finger beneath her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. 

“And how does it make you feel, Ashley? I’ve told you I need to know that as well.”

She shrugged, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. “I don’t know. I feel… Hungry? I mean, my stomach isn’t rumbling, and I already snagged cookies before I went to bed,” she said, almost challenging him to say something about that since she’d been told no about the cookies. “But I still feel hungry, Daddy.”

Considering that, he moved to scoop the girl up, holding her on his lap as he hugged her tightly. Despite her age, she was still a slight thing with strength that came from practice and not size. It had amused him since he’d taken the child in for her own good, not even what seemed to be a petite stature when she grew was likely to save her from the damage she was likely to be capable of.

“I’ve been considering that there is a boxing gym I know of that you might do well with. Tomorrow we’ll go see them and see what kind of sparring partner they can find for you.”

“Like when Uncle brought his friend for me to play with?”

Druitt nodded, a small smile curving the corner of his mouth as he thought about that day. If one knew where to look, they could still see the blood on the carpet in the parlor. Vampire blood was always harder to remove than human, but not as acidic and dangerous as so many abnormals that could have bled there. 

“That’s for tomorrow. Until then, back to bed with you,” he said, rising as he set her to stand beside him. “And yes, before you ask, you can have another cookie,” he said, patting her head in a split second before she vanished from the spot beside him. Only in agreeing to let her do that in the house had he stopped her from vanishing to God only knew where.

Sighing, he shook his head and moved to finish up the notes he’d actually been making about her progress.

“You spoil her.”

Druitt didn’t move from that spot but just as his daughter had, he vanished, appearing behind Tesla in the next instant, a knife to the vampire’s throat before his brain processed the words, the accent, and the intrusion.

Huffing a sigh, he withdrew the knife and it disappeared into one of the myriad of pockets in his jacket as he gave Tesla a shove away from him before moving back to the desk.

“She has a rough life ahead of her, Nikola. Of course I spoil her when I can.”

“And what will you do when she kills a man at this gym you’re taking her to?”

Druitt perched on the corner of his desk, folding his arms over his chest. “I’ll handle that when it happens,” he said. Not if, but when. That Ashley might one day kill someone was expected. It was more about guiding her in who she killed rather than that she didn’t. “That’s why I couldn’t leave Helen to raise her. She needs a chance to know who she is rather than who she could be made into. She deserves a chance to be herself.”

“Yes, because that worked out so well for you, didn’t it?” He strolled closer, leaning against the desk at Druitt’s side. “This gym of yours? Abnormals?”

“Of course, it would be unfair to put her against humans.”

“I’ll have some of mine there,” he said, nodding. “In case we need to clear the place.”

“Good. I knew I could count on you.”

Tesla rolled his eyes, pushing away from the desk. “Helen can count on me. You know I’m only doing this because Ashley is her child.”

“That’s what you say,” Druitt noted, tones flat and unimpressed. “Now, why are you here?”

“Chess game. Promised. Weeks ago.”

“Language. Easy. Grow up.” He waved a hand at Tesla. “Set up the board, I’m going to get a cookie before we start.”

“Spoiled,” he called after Druitt, smirking as he moved to drag the table to the center of the library for their game.


End file.
